Compound engine.



No. 866,803. PATENIED SEPT. 24, 1907. F. E. NORTON.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

uruoumn mam nov. a, 1005. nmmwnn FEB. 11; 1001.

WITNESSES INVENTOR FRED E. NORTON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

COMPOUND ENGINE.

Application filed November 8, 1905, $erial No. 286,349. Renewed February11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED E. NORTON, of Youngstown, Mahoning county,Ohio, have invented'a new and useful Compound Engine, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, whichis a view largely diagrammatic illustrating the application of myinvention.

The invention relates to improvements in that class of engines which usesteam or other elastic fluid expansively and which have one or more highpressure cylinders exhausting into one or more low cylinders, and isparticularly applicable to a compound engine such as that described andclaimed in the copending application of Irving H. Reynolds and Fred E.Norton, Serial No. 286,348, filed November 8th, 1905. In thatapplication is disclosed a compound engine having a high pressurecylinder or element, which always operates as'such, a low pressurecylinder or element, which always operates as such, and a third cylinderor element which may be connected to operate either as a low pressure oras a high pressure element, according to conditions of load. Theinvention is however not limited to compound engines of this particulartype, but it is intended for use wherever it is desired to automaticallyconvert one or more of the low pressure elements of a compound engineinto a simple engine, or vice versa. In such engines it has been acommon practice to secure an increased start ing cli'ort in certainunfavorable positions of the pistons by introducing high pressure steaminto the low pressure element, and this has commonly been accomplishedby means of a reducing valve arranged to admit either low or highpressure steam into the low pressure cylinder, while at the same timethe counterpressure on the high pressure cylinder has been re lieved bythe use of a valve operating to open communication from the highpressure exhaust to the atmosphere or to a condenser. My invention isdesigned to obviate such practice by providing simple means whereby oneoi the low pressure elements can be arranged to exert a rotating effectequal to that of the high pressure element in starting the engine on theload, but which, when the receiver pressure has reached a predeterminedpoint, will operate to automatically cut off the supply of high pressuresteam from such low pressure element and cause it to operate inconnection with the constant low pressure cylinder as a compound engine.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the provision of avalve, controlled by a differential piston, together with connectionswhereby said valve will be automatically operated to connect the thirdSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

1907. Serial No. 356,873.

element or cylinder in either of the two Ways above described.

The drawing illustrates one embodiment of my invention.

In this drawing, 2 designates the high pressure cylinder or element, 3the low pressure cylinder or element, and 4 the third cylinder orelement. The cylinder 2 receives its supply of live steam from the pipe5 controlled by the usual valve (5 and exhausts into any suitable pipeor receiver space 7 which is connected with the steam chest of the lowpressure cylinder 3. I

8 is the common exhaust pipe for the cylinders 3 and 4.

9 is the crank shaft to which the pistons 10 and 11 respectively of thecylinders 2 and 3 are -connected. The piston 12 oi cylinder 4 is alsodirectly connected to the piston 11 by a rod l3.

l4 designates a valve chamber having a supply connection 15 with thelive steam and supply pipe 5, a supply connection 16 with the exhaustor'receiver pipe 7, and also valve actuating connections 17 and 18, withthe pipes 5 and 7 respectively. The pipe 15 communicates with the valvechamber by the port 19, and the pipe 16 communicates with said chamberby the port 20.

21 designates a balanced slide valve of cylindric or tubular form, andhaving the heads 22, and an intermediate annular port 23 which opensinto a pipe 24 leading to the steam chest of the element or cylinder 4.Connected to one end of said valve is a piston 25 which is arranged tobe actuated by steam from the receiver pipe 7 through the pipe 18.Connected to the other end of the valve is a smaller piston 26 whichworks in a reduced extension 27 of the valve chamber and is arranged tobe actuated by pressure admitted through the pipe 17. The ratio of theareas of pistons 25 and 26 will depend upon the particular engine andthe degree of receiver pressure at which it is desired to disconnect thecylinder 4 irom the source of high pressure supply and to connect it tooperate as a low pressure element.

The operation is as follows: In the position of the valve shown in thedrawings, high pressure steam is admitted to the valve chamber throughthe pipe 15, and passes through said chamber and the passage 01 port 23around the valve and through connection 24 to the cylinder 4. Thisoperation continues until such time as the pressure of the exhaust inthe pipe 7, acting upon the larger piston 25, is suificient to overcomethe high pressure acting upon the smaller piston 26. At such time thevalve is moved to close the port 15) and open the port 20, and thecylinder 4 receives its supply from the receiver pipe 7 and opera es asa low pressure element, and continues to so operate until such time asthe receiver pressure decreases sufficiently to cause the valve to beagain actuated by high pressure steam on the piston 26.

The advantages of my invention result from the automatic manner in whichone of the low pressure elements is caused to operate either as a lowpressure element or as a high pressure element, according to conditionsof load, while the high and low pressure elements proper of the engineoperate constantly as such.

It will be obvious that the arrangement of the cylin ders, the valveactuating connections, and the valve itself, may be changed in variousways without departing from my invention, since What I claim is:-

1. In a compound engine, a high pressure cylinder, a low pressurecylinder, and a third cylinder, and an auto matic valve arranged tooperate to connect the third cyl inder to operate either as a high or alow pressure ele? ment in conjunction with the other cylinders;substantially as described.

2. In a compound engine, having three cylinders, one of which alwaysoperates as a high pressure element, a second always operating as a lowpressure element, and the third either as a high or a low pressureelement, an automatic valve, and differential pistons connected to saidvalve and arranged to operate automatically to change the third cylinderfrom a highpressure element'to a low-pres sure element; substantially asdescribed.

3. In a compound engine, a higlrpressure element always operating assuch, a low-pressure element always operating as such, and a thirdelement arranged to operate either as a high or a low-pressure element,a valve, and a ditlerential piston arranged to operate said valve, saidpiston being exposed on one side to the pressure of the highpressureelement, and on the other side to the pressure of the exhaust of saidhigh-pressure element; substantially as described.

4. In a compound engine, having three or more cylinders, two of whichnormally act in conjunction as low pressure elements of the engine, anautomatic valve, and actuating means therefor whereby one of said lowpressure elements may be converted to a high pressure ele' mentsubstantially as described.

In a compound engine, having a high pressure element always acting assuch, a low pressure element always acting as such, and a third elementhaving a live steam supply connection, and also a supply connectionwiththe receiver discharge between the high and low pressure elements. of aninterposed valve arranged to control said supply connections, and adifferential piston for operating said valve, said piston being exposedat one side to live steam pressure and at the other side to receiverpressure; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRED 1i. NORTON.

Witnesses TIIOS. H. JENKINS, REGINALD I. DRYER.

